Bridge Ceiling / Dome

Did the ceiling / dome of the Enterprise D bridge serve a purpose? Or was it just decorative? Was it transparent? The crack in Generations kinda supports this. Just looking an explanation for it -- canon or otherwise.

Did the ceiling / dome of the Enterprise D bridge serve a purpose? Or was it just decorative? Was it transparent? The crack in Generations kinda supports this. Just looking an explanation for it -- canon or otherwise.

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It's purpose? To look out of.

Was it transparent? Yes. By virtue of the fact of being able to see through it.

The purpose was to give the TV audience a greater sense of actually being in space. It didn't make a lot of practical sense, but then again having the bridge module where it was -- right on top of the saucer -- never made much sense to me either. Way too vulnerable there. It should have been hidden right in the middle of the saucer where it would be better protected and allow for easier and more direct access to other parts of the ship in an emergency situation. But sometimes practical considerations have to be weighed against the dramatic needs of television series.

I never bought into the "vulnerability" aspect people like to bring up when it comes to the bridge's location. The shields and such make it just as protected as any other spot on the ship and why would an attacker take out the bridge? Sure you'll probably kill the command crew but then there's still 100s of other people on the ship who can take over. It'd be better to take out the engines, the weapons systems or the deflector which can in of itself destroy the ship. And those are all bigger, easier, targets.

Gene Roddenberry asked only for two modifications to Probert's final design. He wanted to restore the bridge to its position on the top of the saucer section, which Probert had originally placed in the center of the saucer feeling "that in a ship that size, the bridge, being the center of command, should be in the center" and that "it would still have the electronic visual capabilities" with the added consideration that it would have been well protected. Roddenberry and Justman felt that the ship's defensive capabilities were able enough to protect the bridge no matter where it was placed even as exposed as it was on top of the saucer and they also wanted to allow viewers to be able to scale the rest of the ships in their minds. The other modification Roddenberry asked for was to extend the nacelles, which Probert had slanted forward in order to create the visual impression of a "lunging cat", so that they had similar proportions to the original Enterprise.

Sorry, but I do buy into the vulnerability bit. The shields fail all the time, and giving a tangible target for an enemy take out the command crew is absurd. Yes there are other people who can take over, but it'll take time for them to figure out who's in charge and where, and an over all loss of efficiency in a crisis. The bridge should've been right smack in the middle of the saucer where a single hull breach couldn't wipe it out.

Thankfully for the Federation, it's a law of the Star Trek universe that death is usually instantaneous to any enemy who gives the command "target their bridge."

I never bought into the "vulnerability" aspect people like to bring up when it comes to the bridge's location.

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Really? Tell that to the family of poor Ensign Noname, who died in "Nemesis" when the forward section of the bridge was torn away.

Seriously, though, wouldn't it make more sense for the bridge to have direct access to other parts of the ship. As it is, if the bridge is cut off from direct access to Deck 2, it's cut off from the rest of the ship.

I don't know what's worse, that they assume most of us are too dumb to figure out where on the ship they are without a blindingly obvious part sticking out, or that they're right. But yeah.. it is what it is.

I just remember reading somewhere way back when that it had some sort of purpose. Maybe it was FASA manual or something. I was just curious if anyone else had heard that. There's so much in the Trek universe, both canon and non that I thought it was a legitimate question.

As ornate as it was, it almost seems likely to be more than skylight.

Picard: Mr. Data, it's such a beautiful evening out. Let's ride with the top down! Engage!